Staffing Strategies for Growth
Running a small business ain’t no walk in the park, especially when it comes to figuring out who to hire next. But you can give yourself a leg up with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.
ERP Systems for Small Businesses
ERP systems like Oracle ERP, SAP ERP, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 are just for you, the SMB crowd. They pack a punch with features you need without emptying your wallet like enterprise solutions would.
Bringing an ERP into the fold can smooth out your operations and help you make smart choices about your team by keeping tabs on all things finance, inventory, and more in one spot. You have options too, with cloud-based, on-site, or a bit of both deployment models (Tipalti).
| ERP System | Deployment Model | Target Audience |
|---|---|---|
| Oracle ERP | Cloud, On-Site, Hybrid | SMBs, Medium, Large |
| SAP ERP | Cloud, On-Site, Hybrid | SMBs, Medium, Large |
| Microsoft Dynamics 365 | Cloud, On-Site, Hybrid | SMBs, Medium, Large |
These smaller ERP systems don’t need a PhD to set up and are ready to go faster than their bigger brothers, which makes life a bit easier for you.
Benefits of ERP Integration
Hooking up an ERP gives your small business a heap of perks:
- Centralized Data Management: Keep your ducks in a row with all your functions packed into one database. It’s like having all your eggs in one basket, only better for business decisions.
- Scalability: Cloud-based ERP solutions let you stretch and grow without blowing a bundle on new gear every time your business expands its wings (Investopedia).
- Increased Productivity: Say farewell to those mind-numbing tasks by automating ‘em, letting your team stretch their creative muscles on more valuable stuff, boosting productivity.
- Industry-Specific Solutions: Some ERP systems get real specific, offering modules that work for niche industries. If you’re in manufacturing, you might need some serious inventory and supply chain magic (Investopedia).
- Ease of Implementation: We mentioned it before, but small business ERP setups are shockingly painless. They focus on your needs, so you can ditch the tech headaches and focus on boosting your biz (Investopedia).
With these bonuses, shaping your staff to match your growing ventures just got a whole lot easier. Want more advice? Check out our bits on managing remote workers or grab a job offer template to speed up hiring.
Boosting Your Biz with ERP Magic
Plugging in an ERP system in your small business is like flipping a switch to turbocharge your operations. Two shining stars of ERP awesomeness are AP automation and CRM integration. Let’s hop into each of these nifty tools.
AP Automation Rockstars
AP (Accounts Payable) automation’s shaking things up for small businesses dealing with moolah. With cool tools like Tipalti, you can wave goodbye to the headaches of handling invoices and approvals manually. Why stress when the robots can do it quicker and cleaner? Here’s the lowdown on what you get with AP automation:
| Superpower | What’s in it for you? |
|---|---|
| Global Payments Made Easy | Pay suppliers in different currencies without breaking a sweat |
| Tax Headaches Begone | Automatically tackle those pesky tax reporting duties |
| Bring Suppliers on Board Smoothly | New suppliers? No problem! Easy onboarding’s the name of the game |
When you hook AP automation up with your ERP, you got yourself a seamless financial management machine. Less manual key-punching equals more time sipping coffee and accuracy through the roof. If you’re wrangling with a remote team, check out our remote workers tips.
CRM and ERP: A Match Made in Heaven
Mixing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software with ERP is kinda like peanut butter and jelly for your business—just makes sense. With Salesforce leading the pack in CRM awesomeness, tying it to your ERP paints a clearer picture of who’s buying what and when.
Here’s how this dynamic duo scores for your biz:
| Advantage | Why It’s Awesome |
|---|---|
| Crystal Clear Customer Peeks | See what’s up with customer chats, leads, and the sales trail |
| Data All in One Spot | One-stop shop for all your customer and financial goss |
| Smooth Sailing Workflows | No more double-dipping efforts across your team |
This tight-knit combo doesn’t just make operations smoother—it lines up the info you need to make choices on the fly using real-time data. Need smart hiring tips? Peek at our best job apps and the job offer template for a slick onboarding move.
Rolling with AP automation and CRM via your ERP makes your small business punch above its weight, giving you an edge in the bustling business ring.
Top ERP Systems for Small Businesses
Alrighty, if you’re running a small business, picking out an ERP system is a big step in making sure everything runs like a well-oiled machine. Let’s chat about a few ERP systems that could be your new best friends in managing your growing empire.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Think of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central as your all-in-one command center, living in the cloud. Hosted on good ol’ Microsoft Azure, it’s kind of the tech equivalent of a Swiss Army knife. You get processes ready to go right out the box. Plus, it plays nice with other Microsoft services, making life easier when juggling finance, sales, and supply chains.
Oracle NetSuite
Oracle NetSuite is like that dependable old friend who’s always ready for anything. It’s another cloud-based system that handles a heap of business stuff—think financials, CRM, eCommerce—you name it. This one’s built to adapt as your business changes, so you’ll always have the support you need no matter what surprises you encounter.
Sage Intacct
If crunching numbers gives you a thrill, Sage Intacct is where you want to be. Known for its top-notch accounting powers, it’s your go-to for anything money-related—accounting, payroll, payments, it handles them all with ease. It’s a flexible pick for those who put financial wizardry at the top of their list.
Acumatica
Meet Acumatica, your partner in digital toughness. This ERP is a breeze to set up with other tools and apps, and it’s perfect if you’re all about working from your phone or laptop. Remote work? Acumatica says no problem. It’s all about being efficient, flexible, and ready no matter where business takes you.
SAP Business One
Think of SAP Business One like the sibling system to Microsoft Dynamics 365. Living in the cloud, it’s built for small businesses trying to get a grip on their business insights in real time. It aims to make your life easier by streamlining operations and keeping tabs on resources, making growth a whole lot easier.
| ERP System | Key Features | Target Audience |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Dynamics 365 | Cloud-based, Microsoft-friendly | Small to medium businesses |
| Oracle NetSuite | Feature-packed, grows with you | All business sizes |
| Sage Intacct | Top accounting solutions | Various industries and sizes |
| Acumatica | Quick set-up, mobile freedom | Small to medium businesses |
| SAP Business One | Real-time insights, resource manager | Small to medium businesses |
So, there you have it! Any of these ERP systems could take your inventory management and operations up a notch or two. For even more juicy details, take a peek at our stash of resources on small business inventory software.
Importance of Inventory Management
Managing your stockpile properly is like keeping your ducks in a row, crucial for any small business owner. It’s not just about what’s on your shelves—it spills over into how you handle the books, run production, and keep customers grinning from ear to ear. Let’s talk about how keeping tabs on your inventory can boost sales and share some tips to keep things running like a well-oiled machine.
Impact of Inventory on Sales
When your inventory starts acting like a two-year-old at a grocery store, wreaking havoc, it can really throw a wrench in meeting that sweet sales target. According to Matthew Shay, the big cheese at NRF, stacks of unsold stuff can really drag your sales down—especially when Santa’s coming to town and folks are buying like crazy. The smart cookies in business are savvy in sizing up their stock by zeroing in on products at the SKU level, which in turn pumps up their sales numbers (Acctivate).
Mastering this balance act means you’ve got just the right amount of stock to keep customers happy, without choking up your resources. Here’s how inventory shenanigans impact sales:
| Impact Areas | Silver Linings | Bumps in the Road |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Joyride | Always ready to deliver | Disappointed shoppers |
| Money Matters | Savvy cash management | Money stuck in unsold goods |
| Growing Sales | Quicker sales turnover | Chances missed for making moolah |
Best Practices for Inventory Control
Keeping your inventory on a tight leash is vital for your biz to hum smoothly. Here’s how to stay on top:
- Use an Inventory System: A good system keeps tabs on every doodad and thingamajig, letting you know what’s flying off the shelves and what’s gathering dust.
- Make a Habit of Audits: Regularly counting your stuff keeps surprises at bay and fine-tunes your stock control strategy.
- Forecast Like a Crystal Ball: Dive into those sales numbers from yesteryear and predict what folks will want. This keeps you from drowning in product or coming up dry.
- Keep the Supply Chain Singing: Buddy up with suppliers and routinely check your supply line to avoid holdups.
- Let’s Reorder, Automatically: Set up auto-reorders so you’re never caught flat-footed with an empty shelf, keeping customers happy as a clam.
Sticking to these guidelines helps you dodge the pitfalls of excess stuff while ensuring customer cheers. To learn more about smooth business operations, mosey on over to our bit on managing remote workers or scope out some roles that boost inventory handling, like those snazzy jobs in customer service available on our best job apps.
Choosing the Right Inventory Software
Picking the perfect inventory software is like finding the right pair of shoes for a marathon. It’s gotta fit just right, helping manage your goods and boost your business mojo without any blisters.
Inventory Management Features
When you’re sizing up small business inventory software, think about what’ll make your life easier. Good software should help you keep tabs, control, track and plan your stuff like a pro. Here’s what to look out for:
| Feature | What It Does For You |
|---|---|
| Inventory Tracking | Keeps an eye on stock levels in real-time, no matter where your items are stashed. |
| Demand Forecasting | Uses sales data like a crystal ball to prevent those awkward “we’re out of stock” moments. |
| Inventory Alerts | Gives you a nudge when supplies are running low, so no surprises there. |
| Multi-Location Management | Makes juggling inventory across different spots a breeze—great for folks with both shops and storage. |
| Integrations | Plays nice with accounting and point-of-sale (POS) tools, making sure everything flows smoothly. |
These gizmos don’t just polish up your in-store vibe, they crank up efficiency like a pro DJ at a party (NetSuite). Systems like Square offer hefty inventory gadgets that keep everything in sync and shoot out heads-up when stock’s running low (Townsquare Interactive).
Cloud-Based Inventory Systems
Cloud-based tools are the latest craze, and for good reason:
- Always On-The-Go: Peek at your inventory anytime, anywhere you’ve got Wi-Fi. It’s management freedom in your pocket.
- Instant Updates: These systems keep your stuff fresh and accurate with real-time tweaks.
- Grows with You: As your biz blooms, cloud systems stretch to fit without costing an arm and a leg upfront.
- Talks To Your Apps: Hook up with third-party apps to smooth out business wrinkles (NetSuite).
Take Lightspeed, for example: it’s tailor-made for bustling shops with smart stock tracking, change-all-at-once pricing, heads-up on low stock, and custom reports (Townsquare Interactive). It’s like a mix-tape for your inventory strategy that grows as you do.
So, tracking down the right inventory software with killer features and cloud magic can really level up how you juggle your goods, boosting your business as it takes off running.
Key Features in Inventory Software
So, you’re on the hunt for some sweet small business inventory software? You want something that’s gonna keep your stock game strong and efficient. Let’s lay out a few must-have features that’ll keep you ahead of the game:
Real-Time Tracking
Keeping tabs on your inventory in real time is like having a superpower. It’s what keeps you from running around like a headless chicken. When you can see what’s in stock and what’s not, you’re calling the shots on when to reorder, how much to sell, and whether to have that sale. Most new-age systems, such as Acctivate, have cool dashboards that let you peek at your inventory status anytime, making it easy to choose what to buy next (Acctivate).
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| All-day Monitoring | Keep an eye on stock 24/7 and avoid empty shelves or overflowing stockrooms. |
| Ding Alerts | Get a heads up when stock’s running low, so you can jump on it. |
| Easy-Peasy Dashboard | A visual map of your stock stats to keep you sharp. |
Automated Reordering
Forget spending your whole day figuring out when to reorder. Let your software tell you when it’s time, and where to put your dough. These tools crunch the numbers from past sales, check the demand, and remind you when stocks hit the low mark. Take Acctivate for example, which syncs with QuickBooks to craft up purchase orders in a heartbeat (Acctivate).
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Reminder Alerts | Set them up based on how low you’d like to go before hitting the panic button. |
| On-the-Spot Orders | Make purchase orders straight from those mighty alerts, just like that. |
| Demand Guessing | Let historical facts and figures help foretell your future needs. |
Advanced Reporting
To really dig into your sales and see where the magic (or mayhem) happens, advanced reporting is your new best mate. These reports give you the skinny on sales trends, stock highs and lows, and how fast stuff’s flying off the shelves. You gotta know which toys are bringing the smiles and which ones need a talking-to. Dig down to the SKU level, and just like the Aberdeen Group study said, you’ll get your inventory in tip-top form.
| Report Type | Use |
|---|---|
| Sales Reports | Check which goodies are hot and which ones need spice. |
| Turnover Check | See how quick stuff’s getting snapped up. |
| DIY Dashboards | Craft a custom view that zooms in on what matters to your business. |
By weaving these must-have tools into your inventory system, you’re not just smoothing out operations—you’re leveling up your business. Want more words of wisdom? Dive into our other reads on managing remote workers and the best job apps for even more hot tips.
Tailored Inventory Solutions
Every small business has its own inventory quirks and wishes. Tweaking your inventory management software will give you a performance boost and line up perfectly with what you’re chasing. Here’s where we dig into three key bits of personalized inventory solutions: reports that fit like a glove, systems suited for your scene, and going with the flow through integrations.
Customizable Reporting
Being able to whip up your own reports is like having a GPS for your inventory journey. Good inventory management software lets you focus on the things that matter, be it how much stock you’re sitting on, how fast stuff is selling, or when trends are starting to look like a rollercoaster. With such insights, you’re equipped to shuffle your stock and boost your efficiency.
Say you want those reports drilled down to specific products. Get nerdy with it – right down to each SKU. This way, you know which goodies are flying off the shelves and which ones are acting like wallflowers, letting you adjust accordingly (Acctivate).
| Report Name | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Stock Level Peek | Gives the scoop on how much of each product you’ve got. |
| Sales Move Snapshot | Keeps tabs on sales paths over time to scout growth opportunities. |
| Turnover Tempo Check | Shows how briskly your products dash out and get replaced. |
Industry-Specific Systems
Inventory needs aren’t one-size-fits-all. Different lines of work come with their own hurdles and hoops to jump through in managing stock. Picking inventory gadgets specially geared to your field means they’ll pull the tricks that match your lane.
Take retail, for instance – they’re gonna care about tying up their systems with point-of-sale and handling customer returns. Meanwhile, someone in manufacturing might put their chips on raw materials and juggling items still in progress. Tools like Acctivate stash away the goods for a load of industries, packing in stuff like reorder alerts, nifty reports, and barcoding (Acctivate).
Scalability and Integrations
As your biz picks up the pace, your inventory checklist will morph too. Go with a system that can grow with you, dodging the hassle of switching stuff up. Hunt for software that’s best buddies with other biz tools – think accounting or online sales platforms. This all-in-one view of your stock is like having multiple lenses, giving you the know-how to make smart buys and sales moves (Acctivate).
| Growth Trait | Why It Rocks |
|---|---|
| Pick and Mix Add-Ons | Stack on new features as new needs surface. |
| Cool Connections | Play nice with other software for a smooth operation. |
| Online Options | Check-in on your inventory wherever you roam. |
Zero in on making reports your way, using systems that fit your beat, and climbing the scalability ladder with integration, and you’ll tap into the whole shebang of small business inventory software. Turn the gears on your operations and chase your business dreams with confidence.
ERP Selection and Implementation
Picking and putting an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system into play is a big deal when it comes to smoothing out how things run in your small business. Knowing what ERP does, how it can be set up, and how to size up different companies offering these systems can really help you make the right call.
Important ERP Functions
Think about what you really need from an ERP system. Every business is different, so you’ll have your own list of must-haves, but here’s what you’ll want to keep in mind:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Easy-To-Use Interface | If it’s easy to use, your team won’t need hours of training to figure it out. |
| All-In-One Dashboard | Lets you see how every part of your business is doing at a glance. |
| Success Metrics (KPIs) | Keeps track of how well you’re doing with easy-to-understand stats. |
| Custom Reports | Make reports that suit your needs to get better insights. |
| Smart Business Tools | Helps you dig into data to make the right strategic moves. |
| Data Mining | Pulls useful info from huge data piles. |
| Secure Data | Keeps your sensitive business info locked up tight. |
Head over to our guide on managing your team remotely as you start bringing in ERP.
Setup Types and ROI
How you set up your ERP system can change what it costs and how much you get back from it. Here’s the lowdown:
| Deployment Model | Description | Cost and ROI |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud-based | Runs on another company’s servers. | Cheaper at first; see returns faster because there’s less stuff you need to buy and take care of yourself. |
| On-site | Sits on your own servers. | Costs more upfront; paying for upkeep could stack up over time. |
| Mixed | A bit of both worlds. | Flexible but might cost more and be tricky to manage. |
Those cloud systems are usually quicker to get going because the vendors handle a lot of the tricky stuff, like keeping things secure and up to date (NetSuite).
Picking Your ERP Provider
Choosing the right ERP vendor is key. Here’s what to think about:
- Know-How: Do they know your kind of business inside and out?
- Track Record: Check out stories of how they’ve done with others like you and if those folks were happy with their results.
- Happy Clients: Talk to past customers to see if their service is up to snuff.
- Staying Power: Make sure they’re solid enough to stick around and support you later on.
- Tech Savvy: Do they offer advanced geeky stuff like AI or machine learning so that you can really ramp up what your ERP can do? (NetSuite)
Need more help? Check out our resources on job offers and job applications to get your team sorted and ready to roll.
